For years, Google dominated the search landscape so thoroughly that “Googling” became synonymous with searching itself. However, this monopoly is being disrupted by the rise of AI-driven answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. These platforms provide users with instant, curated, and highly accurate answers, often bypassing traditional search results with zero-click experiences. This evolution in search behavior presents new challenges for brands striving to maintain visibility and influence in an increasingly competitive search landscape.
As a leader in gaming peripherals, SteelSeries enjoyed strong brand recognition and accurate visibility for direct brand queries across prominent Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. However, their presence for indirect queries — such as competitive comparisons, content generation, and scenario-driven searches — was limited or inconsistent. This lack of control over how they were represented in AI-driven search results posed a risk to their ability to maintain brand presence and shape their narrative. SteelSeries needed a strategy to ensure consistent, accurate representation on these platforms to protect their competitive position and continue driving customer engagement despite ongoing changes in search trends, platforms and behaviors.
Recognizing the growing influence of AI-driven search platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, we developed a comprehensive Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) strategy to expand SteelSeries’ organic presence beyond direct brand queries. First, we optimized header and title tags to prioritize key secondary and long-tail search terms, tailoring them to user search behaviors. Content was strategically reformatted in a question-and-answer style, catering to informational search intent and aligning with featured snippet criteria. We also launched an educational content strategy, producing gaming guides, tactical tips, and detailed gear user instructions to establish SteelSeries as a trusted authority in the gaming space. Additionally, we implemented a proprietary reputation management system to enhance visibility on high-traffic forums like Reddit and Quora, targeting gamers actively engaging in research and discussions. This multi-pronged approach ensured SteelSeries’ relevance across a diverse range of indirect and scenario-driven queries, leveraging both search intent and behavioral insights.
The implementation of our Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) strategy yielded exceptional results by addressing the specific gaps in SteelSeries’ digital presence and aligning their content with the evolving needs of AI-driven search engines. For the query "how to clean a mousepad," we revamped an existing blog post to align with both user intent and featured snippet criteria, optimizing the content structure to focus on actionable steps and FAQs. This approach captured the featured snippet and achieved a double listing in Google’s AI Overviews, allowing SteelSeries to dominate visibility for a high-volume query with 6,000 monthly searches.
Similarly, for the term "CPI vs DPI," we optimized a pre-existing blog to improve its relevance and targeting for search engines. By restructuring the content, refining title tags, and creating a new section explicitly addressing the question "Are DPI and CPI the same?" the page secured the featured snippet. This optimization not only increased impressions by 60% but also positioned the content prominently across voice search, generative search platforms, and AI overview results.
These targeted improvements drove significant gains across a range of queries. SteelSeries’ content now ranks prominently on platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for competitive and informational searches, such as “what are the best gaming mice?” and “what are the best gaming headsets?” These wins reflect a larger strategic success: enhancing SteelSeries’ ability to control their brand narrative on AI-driven platforms, ensuring consistent and accurate representation while expanding reach and market leadership.
